1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital display apparatus for a vehicle and a method of displaying information for the digital display apparatus.
2) Description of the Related Art
Throughout the whole specification, “a road surface and the like” refers to a road surface, a person (such as a pedestrian), and objects (such as a preceding vehicle, an oncoming vehicle, road signs, and buildings), etc.
A digital lighting apparatus that illuminates a road surface and the like in a predetermined light distribution pattern using a reflection type digital light deflector is well known. The digital lighting apparatus of this type is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-104288, German Patent Publication No. DE 195 30 008 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,319, and US Patent Publication No. 5938319.
The digital lighting apparatus includes a light source that emits light, a reflector that reflects the light from the light source, and a reflection type light guiding unit that reflects the light from the light source and the reflector. When the light source is turned on, the light emitted from the light source is reflected by the reflector and reflected light is reflected by the reflection type light guiding unit to illuminate the road surface and the like.
However, no digital display apparatus that can display information (information using a contrast between brightness and darkness (light and shadow), e.g., information including at least one of a graphic, a symbol, a letter, a number, a leveling mark, and a mark that indicates width of the vehicle (hereinafter, “a vehicle width mark”) on the road surface and the like using a reflection type digital light deflector has been provided.